


Daddy, Get Me Out Of Here!

by Luv_Bowie_Luver



Series: My Labyrinth Fics [4]
Category: David Bowie (Musician), Labyrinth (1986)
Genre: Character Death, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-13
Updated: 2015-04-14
Packaged: 2018-03-22 16:34:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3735910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luv_Bowie_Luver/pseuds/Luv_Bowie_Luver
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to 'Within You' (Past Labyrinth)</p><p>***</p><p>Summary: So what happened when Sarah accidentally ran into Jareth at the tiny age of just two years old?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Meet the Boys

Mere minutes ago, Sarah had been with a teenage Jareth in a young Labyrinthine world but now?  Now she had wished herself back just a little too far and was now staring into the familiar eyes of a toddler Jareth. He watched her curiously for a while, his little blocks forming a maze in front of him. Glancing back to the little winged toddler in the window, Sarah felt frightened that he might fall out of it. The two boys looked to be around two years old, though time was different in the Labyrinth and so she really had no idea just exactly what age they were.  
  
  
"Um, James?" Sarah ventured and the blue eyed boy turned his attention to her at once, "could you please come down from there?"  James laughed quietly at her, rocking a little as if he were about to fall backwards. Sarah felt she was going to have a heart attack, she rushed over to him and reached out for the toddler but she just missed him.  
  
  
"Oh no!" Sarah looked out of the window, they were so very high up but there was a small landing just below the window. James sat upon some soft pillows, staring up at Sarah amusedly and laughing at the panic on her face.  
  
  
Sarah let out a sigh of relief, reaching down to help James back into the room. Jareth was standing now, moving some spire shaped blocks into view. The bedroom door opened just as Sarah was carrying James over to the pile of blocks that Jareth had not used yet, Sarah froze in place as a woman entered the room. She ignored Sarah at first, instead picking up the now protesting Jareth and changing him into his daytime clothes. Jareth squirmed and fussed, but settled back down once he was returned to his blocks. The woman looked at Sarah now, sized her up and offered a small smile.  
  
  
"You must be the Sitter," she greeted Sarah, "the King and Queen will be gone for a few days, if you need anything just holler. I'm Mitzi, I'm sort of the Nanny around here, well not officially but you know, they're a handful... Anyway, there's no shortage of servants so, like I said, if you need anything, just holler."  Sarah nodded, then remembered that she too, had a voice.  
  
  
"I'm Sarah," she introduced herself.  
  
  
"Pleasure to meet you, Sarah," replied Mitzi, "I see you've met James, you need to watch that one." Sarah set James down beside Jareth.  
  
  
"He's certainly mischievous," Sarah agreed.  
  
  
"He's also Draconian," Mitzi cautioned her, "too young to control himself, if he sneezes or burps - well, the whole castle could go up in flames."  Sarah's eyes grew wide, she had no idea James could breathe fire.  
  
  
"Um, Mitzi? Could you hang around a bit?" Sarah asked her.  
  
  
"Sure!" Mitzi smiled and relaxed, "any chance to play with the boys! I just adore them!"  Sarah felt better having someone around who knew what they were doing, just until she got used to it or found her way home again. She had not specified a time frame when she'd wished herself back, so she really couldn't tell when or if she'd ever get back home again.  
  
  
"Let me introduce you to little Jareth," Mitzi walked over to the two boys, lifting Jareth into her arms. Sarah looked at him nervously, but he simply gazed back at her calmly and she felt silly for being afraid of him.  
  
  
"Jareth is a good boy," Mitzi told Sarah, "well, I mean, most of the time... You know, I mean he.. ow!" Jareth was pulling her hair, a smirk on his little face as Mitzi tried to make him let go.  
  
  
"He can do things," Mitzi finally got her hair free, "like, vanish and stuff... You gotta watch out for that because he's still learning so, you know, the little bastard could turn up anywhere!"  She sat Jareth back down and he used his hands to push down onto the floor and stand up. He toddled over to the blocks and sat down, James simply watched silently and kept smiling at Sarah and Mitzi.  
  
  
"I really love James," Mitzi said to Sarah, "just about everybody does, but he's dangerous in the wrong situation. I mean, one time he threw up molten lava and it just went right through the floor!"  Sarah's eyes grew wide.  
  
  
"Wow," she breathed, "lucky nobody was hurt!"  
  
  
"I know," Mitzi nodded, looking down at the two boys.  
  
  
"So, are James' parents gone for a few days as well?" asked Sarah.  
  
  
"Who knows?" shrugged Mitzi, "he just shows up here, ever since he could fly. I don't think his parents spend a lot of time with him, because they'd be over here looking for him or something, I don't know. He sorta lives here half the time, but nobody seems to mind and it keeps Jareth quiet."  
  
  
"How so?" asked Sarah.  
  
  
"Well, I know it sounds mean but if James isn't around then he is always looking for attention," Mitzi told Sarah, "like, all the time! You just can't leave him there, he follows you around."  
  
  
"Maybe he just doesn't like being alone," Sarah said quietly.  
  
  
"Yeah," Mitzi looked at Jareth, "he really is a lovely boy but he's just so naughty sometimes... "  Sarah looked at the toddlers, they seemed close even at this age.  
  
  
"Do they talk?" she asked.  
  
  
"Do they ever!" Mitzi nodded.  
  
  
Sarah smiled a little, suddenly wanting to hear Jareth's cute little baby voice. She watched as James leaned in close to Jareth's ear, using his hand to hide whatever he was whispering and Jareth smiled amusedly. James drew back, giggling and Sarah knelt down to talk with them.  
  
  
"Hey guys," she greeted them as they looked at her now, "my name is Sarah, what are you building here?"  
  
  
"I dunno," Jareth shrugged. Sarah could have squealed in adoration, he was so cute!  
  
  
"I think it's a zoo," said James.  Jareth frowned at James.  
  
  
"It's _not_ ," Jareth scolded him, "a zoo!" James picked up a plastic unicorn and placed it among the blocks with a grin.  
  
  
"Now," he said firmly, "it's a zoo."  Jareth scowled at James angrily, his little button nose screwing up slightly. James chuckled at him.  
  
  
"It's not a zoo, James!" Jareth raised his voice, "a zoo's got more AMINALS!"  Sarah couldn't help but smile at the way he said 'animals' incorrectly, it was too cute for words.  
  
  
"You can't have a whole zoo with just one stupid horse!" Jareth continued.  
  
  
"It's a unicorn!" James retorted, "and it's not stupid!"  
  
  
"Hey, boys!" Sarah interrupted them and they looked at her again, "nobody is stupid, alright?"  
  
  
" _You're_ stupid!" Jareth mocked her. Mitzi walked swiftly over to him and Jareth flinched away from her. Sarah frowned as Mitzi hesitated, seemed to think twice and stood back a little bit.  
  
  
"You boys place nicely!" her voice was high pitched now, "Sarah, I gotta go get some work done, are you okay here by yourself for a while?"  
  
  
"Sure," Sarah nodded, watching Mitzi leave the room. She slammed the door shut and James poked Jareth's arm with his finger.  
  
  
"She was going to hit you," he taunted Jareth with a grin.  Jareth picked up a block, staring down at it silently.  
  
  
"Does Mitzi hit you, Jareth?" asked Sarah.  Jareth looked at her, as if she were daft.  
  
  
"Mizzy _always_ hits!" he informed her, matter of factly, his tone sharp.  Sarah looked at James now, who had his little hand upon Jareth's shoulder.  
  
  
"Well," Sarah picked him up and got to her feet, "Auntie Sarah is here now, and _she_ doesn't hit."  James looked up at them, his eyes full of mischief and his smile never fading.  
  
  
"Why don't we play a game?" suggested Sarah.  
  
  
"I hafta go potty," James told her.  
  
  
"Well," Sarah spoke uncertainly, "where is it?"  James got to his feet, then flew up into the window and left. Sarah looked at Jareth.  
  
  
"Where'd he go?" she asked him.  Jareth looked at her as if she were daft again.  
  
  
"To the _potty_ ," he said in a bored tone, "weren't you listening?"


	2. The Morning Routine

  
Sarah didn't scold him, she deserved that one.  
  
  
"Why does James go away to potty?" she asked. Jareth shrugged.  When James got back, Sarah set down Jareth and knelt in front of the boys.  
  
  
"Do you guys know this game?" she asked them, covering her face with both of her hands.  
  
  
She could see them through small gaps in her fingers, they glanced at each other and then back at her with puzzled expressions. Sarah then uncovered her face and smiled broadly at them.  
  
  
"Peek a Boo!" she exclaimed brightly. Jareth lifted a brow, James just looked confused. Sarah covered her face again, waited for a moment and uncovered her face again.  
  
  
"Peek a Boo!" she exclaimed brightly again. As she covered her face a third time, she noticed Jareth starting to smile as he anticipated what would happen next. She felt a little badly for them, never having played this game before. Sarah uncovered her face, smiling at them again.  
  
  
"Peek a Boo!" she kept up the brightness of her tone and James suddenly laughed. Sarah covered her face again, but then she felt little hands pulling at her fingers and Jareth uncovered her face.  
  
  
"Peek a Boo!" she exclaimed, adoring his sudden laughter at her game.  
  
  
Sarah was about to do it again, when James suddenly hiccuped. She ducked as a tiny fireball flew past her head and struck the wall, leaving a black mark upon it. Jareth smirked and Sarah picked James up, unsure of what to do with him. James covered his mouth with his hands, but Sarah pushed them gently away.  
  
  
"You'll burn yourself," she chided him gently. James put his hands back over his mouth again, hiccuped and the fireball shot into his palm. Sarah quickly put him down, grabbed his hand and examined it. James had no burn on his palm, it was fine.  
  
  
"Alright you can keep your hands over your mouth," Sarah told him, "just... be careful okay?"  James nodded and kept his mouth covered, Sarah looked over at Jareth but he hadn't moved away from where she'd left him.  
  
  
"Where does your Nanny keep the diapers?" Sarah asked him.  
  
  
"I don't wear diapers," Jareth told her. Sarah put her hands on her hips.  
  
  
"I saw you wearing one earlier," she called him out.  
  
  
"That's for bedtime," Jareth said firmly, his little hands upon his hips just like Sarah, "in case I have a... a _accinent_... "  Sarah tried not to smile at his misspoken word, but she really couldn't help it.  
  
  
"Alright," Sarah nodded, "well that's good! Good for you."  
  
  
Jareth looked smug and sat back down by his wooden blocks, tossed the plastic unicorn away and continued building his odd, little maze. Sarah turned around to check on James, the little white haired toddler looked back at her with amused eyes. His hands were still over his mouth, the hiccups were less frequent now but still occurring.  
  
  
"You poor thing," Sarah picked him up and patted his back, trying to help him to get rid of them.  
  
  
"You're not _a-posed_ to make him laugh, you know," Jareth said calmly, not looking up from his construction. Sarah frowned lightly.  
  
  
"That information would have been helpful _five minutes ago_ ," she replied, a little annoyed. Jareth smirked, but continued arranging his blocks in silence. Sarah carried James around the room, rubbing and patting his back gently. He leaned his head on her shoulder, but kept his hands over his mouth for the time being.  
  
  
"How about a drink of water?" Sarah suddenly suggested, "maybe that will help."  She set James down, then she walked over to the door.  
  
  
"I'll be right back," she told them, "don't leave this room, okay?"  James nodded and crawled over to Jareth, joining in the building game. Sarah exited the room and looked around, snagging a passing servant by the arm.  
  
  
"Excuse me," Sarah spoke quietly, "I need some water for James, he's got the hiccups." The young man nodded, moving away quickly to fetch the water. Sarah walked back into the room, just watching the boys as they played quietly together.  
  
  
The man returned with a small bottle filled with water, Sarah thanked him and offered the bottle to James. He took it from her, drank some of the water and wandered over towards the window. Sarah took a moment to look around the room, it seemed to be a sort of play area because she saw nothing that would even come close to resembling a bed. There wasn't any cradle, or even a pillow anywhere.  
  
  
"Jareth," Sarah turned to the golden haired toddler, "where's your bed?"  Jareth looked at her curiously.  
  
  
"It's not nap time," he said to her.  
  
  
"I know," Sarah walked over to him, "but I need to know where it is."  Jareth put his hands on the floor to get into a standing position again, then he toddled over to the door. Sarah followed him, opening the door for him and Jareth gestured to the door directly across from the play room.  
  
  
"It's there," he spoke in his knowing tone, "behind that door."  
  
  
He returned to the play room and Sarah pushed the other door open, looking around in awe. It was a bedroom fit for a little prince, lovingly and lavishingly decorated. There were two small beds pushed together, complete with safety rails. Sarah returned to the play room to keep an eye on the boys, so far they seemed content to just have fun on their own. She walked over to a chair and sat down to relax, maybe this wasn't going to be so hard after all. Sarah closed her eyes and sighed, while the boys played and after a while she opened them again. Jareth and James were standing by her feet.  
  
  
"We're hungry," Jareth informed her.  
  
  
"Oh, okay well um... " Sarah looked a bit lost, "okay, let's go find some food."  She picked Jareth up and looked down at James, then scooped him up as well. She carried them out into the hallway, remembering the way to the dining hall from her previous visits to Jareth's castle. She walked in and saw two highchairs, so she put the boys into them and looked around to see what she might be able to give them.  
  
  
"What do you boys like to eat?" she asked, opening cupboard doors and poking around inside of them.  
  
  
"Cake," James replied, cheekily.  
  
  
"Alright, let me rephrase that," Sarah turned around, "what are you supposed to be eating right now?"  James chuckled at her, his hiccups seemed to have gone.  
  
  
"Toast and juice," Jareth told her.  Sarah smiled at the blonde, fluffy haired toddler.  
  
  
"Thank you, Jareth," she said gently and began to make their breakfast for them.  
  
  
"We coulda had _cake, Jareth!_ " James said softly.  
  
  
"I don't _like_ cake, _James!_ " Jareth muttered back.  
  
  
Sarah put their toast in front of them and they picked it up, eating it while she poured the juice into their bottles. She stood back and watched them, smiling to herself at how sweet they were. A chubby woman with pointed ears, purple eyes and pink hair entered the dining hall. The woman smiled as she passed the highchairs, tickling James and Sarah grinned broadly as he giggled and squirmed in his seat.  
  
  
"Good morning, boys!" the woman chuckled, knowing better than to try tickling Jareth. She turned to Sarah happily, giving her a short wave.  
  
  
"Hello there! My name is Astrid," she introduced herself, "I am the Head Chef around here."   Sarah stepped forwards a little.  
  
  
"I'm Sarah," she replied politely, "the babysitter."  Astrid raised her brows.  
  
  
"Just one Sitter?" she laughed heartily, "I do not envy you that job!" She continued chuckling, her booming laughter echoing throughout the castle as she headed for the kitchens. Sarah shook her head and looked to the boys.  
  
  
"You guys aren't that bad," she said softly, "I don't know what all the fuss is about!"


	3. What All The Fuss Is About

When their toast had been eaten, Sarah picked up their plates and took them to the kitchen sink.  Astrid looked at her with a warning brow lifted.  
  
  
"You'd best not let those two outta your sight!" Astrid told Sarah.  
  
  
"They're fine," Sarah washed up the plates, "what harm can they do? They're just little boys! Seriously, you all need to just relax!"  
  
  
Astrid pursed her lips, shook her head in disbelief and turned back to the stove. Sarah sighed and walked back to the dining room, her eyes opening wide at the sight that lay before her. Jareth and James were squirting the juice from their bottles at each other, the orange liquid was everywhere!  
  
  
"Stop!" Sarah approached them and took the bottles from them quickly. They looked at her and she couldn't believe her eyes, they were covered with sticky, orange juice from head to toe.  
  
  
"You're soaking!" Sarah scolded them, "no more juice!"  She set the bottles down, got them out of their highchairs and carried them straight to the nearest bathroom. She ran into Mitzi along the way, who stopped Sarah to talk to her.  
  
  
"Let me take care of that," Mitzi took the boys, "you'd better get the mess cleaned up in the dining hall."  Sarah was reluctant to leave the boys, but felt it would be far too awkward for her to give Jareth a bath...    
  
  
"Thanks Mitzi," Sarah looked at her own clothes, "I'd better find something else to wear while I'm at it!"  Mitzi smiled at her and took the boys into the bathroom, closing the door behind them. Sarah returned to the dining hall and cleaned up the sticky mess, then she found a room she had visited once before and changed her clothes.  
  
  
Eventually, she made her way back to the play room and found the boys there; all nice and clean. Mitzi stood up when Sarah walked in.  
  
  
"There you go," Mitzi gestured to the boys, "try not to leave them alone for too long next time, alright?"  
  
  
"Alright," Sarah was looking at Jareth, who appeared quite sulky just now. Mitzi left and Sarah closed the door, walking over to kneel down beside Jareth.  
  
  
"I'm sorry I snapped at you both," Sarah apologized to the pouting toddlers. James, who was sitting next to Jareth, looked at Sarah now.  
  
  
"Mitzi hurt him," James tattled.  
  
  
"Shhh!" Jareth hushed him and James sat back, closing his mouth. Sarah frowned.  
  
  
"Jareth?" she ventured, "what happened?"  
  
  
Jareth slowly stood up and turned to her, so she drew him in close and hugged him. Sarah decided that she wouldn't leave them alone with Mitzi anymore, it seemed the so called 'Nanny' couldn't keep her hands to herself. She stood, picking Jareth up and he wrapped his little arms around her neck to hold on. James got up and ran to the window, Sarah sat down in the rocking chair with Jareth in her lap.  
  
  
"I'll tell you a story," she smiled at him, his glossy eyes gazing up at her. James sat up in the window to listen, distracted by the curtains and idly playing with them while Sarah tried to take Jareth's mind off his little problem.  
  
  
"It's about a brave little bear," Sarah began.  
  
  
"Why is he brave?" asked Jareth.  
  
  
"Well," Sarah hesitated, "this bear was brave because... because he told the grown up bears whenever somebody was mean to him."  
  
  
"What's so brave about tattling?" Jareth's little nose crinkled up in disbelief at her words.  
  
  
"Because sometimes it's scary to get somebody into trouble," Sarah replied calmly.  
  
  
Jareth didn't question her this time, so she smiled at him again but before she could continue her story she heard a noise. Looking up, she saw that James had pulled the curtains open and there was a bit of dust floating near his face. Sarah quickly stood up and set Jareth down, but it was too late. James sneezed as she crossed the room, setting the curtains ablaze. Sarah quickly scooped James up into her arms and turned around, Jareth was climbing up onto the rocking chair trying to reach something up high just behind it.  
  
  
"Oh no!" Sarah moaned fearfully, as she rushed over to him and managed to catch him with her free arm as he fell. She looked over at the curtains, the flames now billowing out of control.  
  
  
"What do I do??" Sarah raised her voice, hurrying out of the playroom with the boys held tightly in her arms.  
  
  
The commotion was noticed and people began rushing around and trying to put out the fire, while Sarah took the boys downstairs and out to the little garden in the courtyard. She looked up at the thick, black smoke coming from the window of the highest tower. James and Jareth started to chase each other around the flower beds, giggling as if nothing had happened. James flew up out of Jareth's reach, causing Jareth to stop and fold his arms.  
  
  
"If you're going to cheat then so am I!" Jareth turned and to Sarah's horror, he vanished. James landed nearby and sat down, pouting.  
  
  
"No!" Sarah looked around wildly, panicking, "Jareth? Jareth, where are you?"  But the little prince did not respond. Sarah remembered what Mitzi had told her, that Jareth was still learning how to control where he ended up. She ran her fingers through her hair, trying to think of where he might have gone.  
  
  
"He could be _anywhere!_ " she cried out in frustration. James started to laugh quietly and covered his mouth, as if not to tell.  
  
  
"James?" Sarah followed his gaze, her heart hammering in her chest, "Jareth!"  He was high up on the castle roof, clinging to a spire and looking down at her with big eyes.  
  
  
"Jareth!" Sarah shouted up at him, "Jareth, hold on! Don't let go!"  
  
  
But could he hear her from way up there?  
  
  
Sarah looked down at James, she couldn't just leave him there all by himself but she had to find a way up to Jareth. Her eyes trailed back up to the terrified toddler, but she saw no windows or platforms anywhere near him. She'd have to be able to fly if she was going to get him down from there, she glanced at James then and slowly knelt down in front of him. Draconians could fly, they were also incredibly strong.  
  
  
"James," Sarah urged the amused toddler, "would you please go up there and bring Jareth down to me?"  
  
  
James stood up, nodding with a cheeky grin and he jumped up. Sarah watched him take flight, thinking how brave he was to fly so high and not get scared. Her eyes never left the little Draconian, as he put his arms around Jareth's midsection and lifted him away from the spire. Sarah held her breath as James began his slow descent, she could tell he was getting tired and they were still very high up.  
  
  
"That's it!" she encouraged him, "just a little further! You can do it!"  James eventually got to the ground and Sarah rushed over to gather both boys up into her arms, hugging them tightly.  
  
  
"Don't ever do that again!" Sarah felt tears stinging her eyes as she kissed both of them on the cheek. James wriggled out of her grasp, stepping back and making a face.  
  
  
"Yuck!" he protested, wiping his face. Sarah couldn't help but laugh, mostly out of sheer relief.  
  
  
Sarah picked them up and carried them back inside to their bedroom, they had been through enough for one morning and she was determined to get them down for a nap. To her relief, neither of them protested as she lay each of them down into their beds. Jareth was still trembling slightly, his eyes wide open and his face pale. James reached through the safety rail and held Jareth's hand, eventually closing his eyes. Jareth's eyes fluttered closed after a few moments, so Sarah covered them both with their blankets and sat in yet another rocking chair to watch them sleep. They looked so sweet and innocent, just laying there and she smiled at them. Despite their antics, she couldn't understand how anyone could ever raise their hand against the little boys in anger.  
  
  
She had quite the tale to tell the King and Queen, when they returned home.


	4. The Evidence

Sarah slipped away from the nursery and went back to the kitchens, Astrid was kind enough to fix her some breakfast and as she sat down to eat it; she watched Astrid cooking something.  
  
  
"What're you making?" asked Sarah.  
  
  
"I've got to cook for the entire castle," Astrid replied, "normally I have a few others to help me but today it's just me. I'm making spaghetti and meatballs, are the boys sleeping?"  
  
  
"Yes," Sarah replied, "how did you know?"  
  
  
"Ah they usually sleep around this time,  Astrid smiled, "it's the only time you'll get to relax until tonight."  Sarah finished her meal and sat back, regarding Astrid curiously.  
  
  
"Do you like Mitzi?" asked Sarah.  
  
  
"Who me?" Astrid shrugged, "I can't say that I have had a lot to do with her, she's the boys' Nanny, right?"  
  
  
"Unofficially, yes," Sarah responded, a little icily.  
  
  
"Sounds like you disapprove?" Astrid looked at her.  
  
  
"I think she spanks the boys," Sarah admitted. Astrid turned away, shaking her head.  
  
  
"That can't be right," said Astrid.  
  
  
"Why not?" asked Sarah.  
  
  
"Well," said Astrid, looking back at her seriously now, "that's punishable by death, the King and Queen would never stand for it."  Sarah's eyes grew wide, now she really did need to be certain before she told the King and Queen anything. Astrid turned back to her pot, while Sarah sat in disbelief and wondered if she could handle having someone executed? Surely a little smack on the bottom did not warrant the death penalty?  
  
  
"Would you mind bringing the boys down to lunch soon?" Astrid spoke to her again, snapping Sarah out of her thoughts.  
  
  
"Of course," Sarah replied distantly, getting to her feet and wandering back to the nursery. When she got there, she went inside and found James already awake.  
  
  
"Hey you," Sarah smiled at him, "what are you doing awake?"  James got out of his bed and toddled over to her, so she picked him up.  
  
  
"Jareth woke me up," James yawned and rubbed his eyes sleepily.  
  
  
"Aw, what'd he do?" asked Sarah, looking over to Jareth but he was still sound asleep.  
  
  
"He keeps shouting," James lay his head on Sarah's shoulder and closed his eyes.  
  
  
"What's he saying?" Sarah questioned James.  James yawned again.  
  
  
"He's saying _'stop it_ ' but I wasn't doing anything!"  
  
  
"Shhh, I know," Sarah calmed him, "it's time for lunch anyway." She knelt down and woke Jareth, then she carried them downstairs and put them into their highchairs. They were both wide awake by the time lunch was given to them and Sarah looked at the bowls of spaghetti with disdain.  
  
  
"Are you _trying_ to make my job harder?" Sarah asked Astrid. Astrid chuckled and left to serve lunch to everyone else. Sarah watched as Jareth and James began grabbing handfuls of spaghetti and shoving it into their mouths. She supposed they were too little to have forks, but she really wished that Astrid would have just given them sandwiches or maybe a platter of fruit. Sarah walked over to the counter and grabbed some paper towels, when something caught her attention outside for a moment.  James turned to Jareth.  
  
  
"Look what I can do!" James boasted, breathing a small flame onto his food and turning it all black and sticky.  
  
  
"Eww!" Jareth leaned away, "that's stinky _ba-sketti_ now!" 

 

"It's _sketti_ , not _ba_ -sketti," James laughed and got a fistful of the burnt food, then he threw it. The splat sound made them both giggle and soon they were throwing their lunch all over the dining hall, including all over themselves. When Sarah turned back around, James was wearing his bowl on his head and some spaghetti hit her in the face.  
  
  
"Guys!" Sarah whined, walking quickly over to them.  
  
  
"Well he started it!" Jareth accused, looking at James.  
  
  
"Did not!" James threw spaghetti at Jareth.  
  
  
"Did too!" Jareth threw some back at James.  
  
  
"Stop!" Sarah got between them, "that's enough!"  She got them out of their highchairs and sighed heavily, then Astrid walked in but she did not seem at all surprised.  
  
  
"You go on and bath those two scamps," Astrid smiled warmly, "I'll have someone clean this up."  
  
  
"Thanks Astrid," Sarah felt a little relieved, then she took the boys to the bathroom and shut the door before Mitzi wandered along. She filled the tub with warm water and plenty of bubbles, then she quickly got them undressed and into the tub. James started splashing straight away and Sarah sat back so as not to get wet. The boys splashed so much that they practically cleaned themselves, so she just watched them to make sure they didn't hurt themselves and smiled at their playfulness. After a while, Jareth held up his hands.  
  
  
"My hands are shrink-el-ing!" he complained. Sarah laughed gently and walked back over to the tub.  
  
  
"Time to hop out then," she told him. Jareth went quiet, a nervous sort of look in his eyes as she lifted him out of the tub. Sarah picked up a towel, doing her best not to feel awkward as she dried him off.  
  
  
"Ow!" Jareth suddenly yelped.  
  
  
"What's the matter?" Sarah looked at him with concern, "did I hurt you?"  
  
  
"Yes!" Jareth pouted, holding his upper arm.  Sarah gently pried his hand away from his arm, taking in a soft gasp at the horrible bruise she found there. She didn't touch it because it looked swollen and very painful.  
  
  
"What happened to your arm?" Sarah asked him gently. Jareth pursed his little lips and said nothing, so Sarah dressed him carefully and looked at James.  
  
  
"James," she said quietly, "do you know what happened?"  James started to nod, looked at Jareth and then shook his head quickly, no. Sarah glanced at Jareth, who was giving James a warning frown.  
  
  
"Come on you guys!" Sarah urged them, "this has to stop! I can't help you if you won't talk to me!"  
  
  
She got James out of the tub, but the little Draconian insisted on drying himself and only let Sarah help him with his clothes once he was done. She took them back into their play room, closing the door and sitting on the rocking chair with a deeply thoughtful expression on her face. Why did only Jareth have such a bruise?  She looked over at the boys, James was biting on some sort of rubber ring and Jareth was throwing blocks at him. Sarah was about to scold Jareth, when she noticed that the blocks didn't seem to bother the Draconian.  
  
  
Of course, they had very tough skin and it'd take a lot to actually hurt one of them. As one block was thrown particularly hard, it bounced off James' head and out the window. James got up and ran over to the window.  
  
  
"I'll get it!" he jumped up and flew outside. Sarah walked over to Jareth and sat down next to him, he looked at her calmly and she smiled a little.  
  
  
"Did James do this?" Sarah asked him quietly, gesturing to his arm. Jareth shook his head, no.  
  
  
"Then what is it?" Sarah asked him, "you can tell me."   Jareth sighed.  
  
  
"It's what naughty boys get," Jareth told her, rolling his eyes as if she should know this already.  Sarah slowly got to her feet and James returned with the block, he walked over to Jareth and set it down onto the pile of blocks beside him.  
  
  
"I'm the best at flying!" James boasted.  
  
  
"I'll fly too, one day!" Jareth retorted.  
  
  
"Nuh-uh!" James pointed at him, "you don't have any wings!" Jareth swatted his finger away from his face.  
  
  
Sarah knew that when Jareth was older, he'd be able to turn himself into an owl and thus be able to fly. But she decided to let James find that out for himself, she returned to the chair and sat down to watch them quietly. Somehow, she had to find out what made that bruise on Jareth's arm. Or rather, _who_...


	5. The Confrontation

A short while later, James stood up from playing.  
  
  
"Look what I can do!" he said boastfully. Sarah watched him as he flew up a little off the ground and did a back flip in mid air. Jareth wrinkled up his little nose.  
  
  
"I can do something better than that," Jareth stood up and held out his hand. Sarah couldn't help but feel a jolt of nervousness as he formed a crystal orb into his upturned palm, her eyes wide with panic.  
  
  
"What's it do?" asked James, landing nearby and approaching Jareth with wonder.  
  
  
"Anything I want!" Jareth smirked, "watch... "  
  
  
He turned it slightly to the left and images began to shift and form within the crystal. James started laughing and Sarah got up to take a closer look. Inside the crystal, were images of other people moving around the Kingdom. She saw horse-pulled carts and villagers going about their daily lives, there were children playing in the fields and farmers hard at work.  
  
  
"What else can it do?" asked James.  
  
  
"Maybe that's enough for now," Sarah interrupted them, because she knew that Jareth could make the orb do whatever he wished and that could be dangerous. James touched the crystal orb but it popped silently like a bubble and Jareth frowned.  
  
  
"Aw, _James!_ " he growled.  
  
  
"Just make another one!" James urged him.  Sarah needed to think of a distraction, before Jareth discovered the orb's full potential.  
  
  
"James, do you have a Nanny who is supposed to be taking care of you?" Sarah asked the curious Draconian.  James went very quiet and looked a little uncomfortable, so Sarah tried again.  
  
  
"I mean, somebody must be missing you at home?" Sarah asked him.  
  
  
"James lives _here_ ," Jareth informed Sarah.  
  
  
"No," Sarah corrected him, "James lives in his parent's castle, right James?"  James looked at Sarah then, his eyes filled with such burning hatred that she actually shivered. She'd never seen such a look in his eyes before, not ever.  
  
  
"Not going back!" James shouted and Sarah backed away as the little Draconian opened his hands and faced both palms towards her. They began to glow a bright orange, a fireball forming right before Sarah's eyes.  
  
  
"I'm not making you go anywhere!" Sarah called out to him, "I was just asking!"  
  
  
"Never!" James screamed, Sarah dropped to the floor and the bolt of fire struck the wall with an explosive crash.  
  
  
"James!" Sarah looked up just in time to see the toddler fly out the window. Sarah stared at the empty space where James had just been a moment ago, disbelief and shock in her eyes.  
  
  
"Jareth," she breathed, getting to her feet and picking up the fluffy haired toddler, "what was all that about?" But Jareth wasn't talking. Sarah walked over to the window, she searched for James and sighed heavily when she could not see him anywhere.  
  
  
"He'll come back," said Jareth, squirming to be put down, "he never goes far."  
  
  
Sarah let him down and Jareth walked over to some coloring books, picked up his crayons and began to color as if nothing was wrong. Sarah worried about James, clearly something wasn't right at the Draconian Kingdom, either. She glanced around as Mitzi walked into the room, she looked quite upset.  
  
  
"Do you have any idea how long it took me to clean the dining hall?" she shouted at Jareth. Sarah had to wonder if Mitzi had forgotten that she was there, or if she was so blinded by rage that she hadn't noticed Sarah yet. Jareth looked around but Mitzi had grabbed his arm and hauled him to his feet before he could react. Sarah stood up, a sudden feeling overwhelming her.  
  
  
"Let. Him. Go!" Sarah spoke evenly, through clenched teeth.  Mitzi spun around, letting Jareth's arm go and hiding her hands behind her back.  
  
  
"Sarah!" she sounded surprised, "you're still here... "  
  
  
"That's right," Sarah stood face to face with her now, "what do you think you're doing?"  Mitzi looked nervous, knowing she was caught.  
  
  
"What's behind your back?" Sarah demanded, holding out her hand, "give it to me."  Mitzi looked reluctant.  
  
  
"NOW!" Sarah raised her voice.  Mitzi slowly brought the object around to where Sarah could see it, but she didn't hold it out for her to take.  Sarah looked at the thing, rage burning within her chest as she saw it. Mitzi was holding a rock, it was large and looked quite heavy.  
  
  
"What is this for?" Sarah's voice shook with anger as she tried not to lose her temper in front of Jareth, though she was relieved to notice that James was sitting in the window again. Had he heard the commotion? He must not have gone too far, just like Jareth had said.  
  
  
"Did you use that rock on Jareth?" Sarah accused Mitzi.  
  
  
"So what if I did?" asked Mitzi, "you don't know what it's like having to deal with him day in and day out!"  Sarah didn't know, but she did know that dealing with Jareth did not warrant a beating with a big rock. Perhaps when he was grown up, but never at this tender age.  
  
  
"Mitzi you're going to leave this castle today," Sarah told her as calmly as she could, "you're going to run far from here and never return."  
  
  
"What makes you think that?" asked Mitzi.  Sarah got closer to her.  
  
  
"Because I am telling his parents what you've been doing to their precious son," Sarah told her, watching as her eyes grew big with terror, "and you know what the penalty is... "  Mitzi bared her teeth and brought the rock up over her head quickly.  
  
  
"No!" James screamed and flew at Mitzi, barreling into her as she tried to smash the rock down onto Sarah's head.  
  
  
They rolled across the floor, over to the window and Sarah cried out as they suddenly fell out of it. Rushing over to the window, she reached down just as they fell over the balcony and managed to grab hold of James' ankle. Mitzi screamed and hit the stone path below, James' eyes wide as he witnessed the whole thing. Sarah slowly pulled him back into the room, setting him down carefully. James ran over to the toy box and hid behind it, but Sarah didn't go after him. Jareth was staring at the rock as it lay on the floor, Sarah walked over to it and picked it up.  
  
  
Jareth backed away from her as she turned around, his eyes still fearfully on the rock. Astrid walked into the room just at that very moment, drawing the wrong conclusion and calling for the guards. Sarah dropped the rock and tried to explain, but she was dragged out of the play room and thrown into the dungeon below. Sarah shook the bars of her cell, desperate to get out.  
  
  
"You've got it all wrong!" she shouted, but her voice simply echoed all around her and nobody came back down to talk to her. Sarah walked over to the corner of her cell and sat down, hugging her knees to her chest sadly.  
  
  
"This can't be happening," she cried into her knees, "I'd never hurt them, not ever!"  
  
  
She looked around the dark, damp dungeon and shivered with the cold. She saw rats as big as cats wandering around and she gasped when she noticed a skeleton, still shackled to the wall in the next cell beside hers. How long had that poor soul been down here? Did they just lock you up down here and forget you ever existed? Sarah felt very afraid right then and there, part of her wishing she could just wake up now and be safe in her own bed.  She looked around a little more, but she couldn't see any other living creature.  
  
  
"Hello?" she called out anyway, in case there might be somebody there and she just couldn't see them yet. She listened, but all she could hear were the rats as they chewed on the bones in the next cell.


	6. Escape

Sarah knew that she had a few days before the King and Queen returned, so she could still clear her name - if only she could get out of the dungeon first! She stood up and walked around the cell, looking for some way out.  
  
  
There wouldn't be any use in just sitting there, she'd die before anyone ever remembered she was here. There were no windows, but there was a trap door nearby that probably led to lower level dungeons and there was a door. She looked around a little bit further, but there was only just that one door. Was there a guard in front of it?  Sarah couldn't be sure, but it didn't matter anyway. There just wasn't any way out of there. She sighed heavily, her only consolation was that Mitzi couldn't hurt the boys anymore but that didn't help her in here.  
  
  
**  
  
  
A few hours later, Sarah heard a noise and stood up from the rickety old bed she was laying on. It was hard and uncomfortable, she never would have been able to fall asleep upon it.  
  
  
"Who's there?" she called out. She heard some soft coughing and couldn't help but smile as James wandered into view, followed shortly by Jareth.  
  
  
"I told you I could do it!" hissed Jareth.  
  
  
"I can't count past three," said James, "how many times was it?"  
  
  
"Quiet!" Jareth grumbled, "we're here aren't we?"  
  
  
"Boys," Sarah knelt down as they approached her cell, "what're you doing down here?"  
  
  
"Looking for you," said James with a grin, "we found you!"  Sarah looked puzzled.  
  
  
"Now it's our turn to hide," James told her.  
  
  
"James, wait!" Sarah stopped him as he went to walk away, "I've locked myself in, can you reach the keys?"  James looked up at the wall, the keys were hanging by the door on a hook.  
  
  
"Easy," James flew up a little and took them down, "give me a harder job!"  He walked over to Sarah and gave her the keys, she quickly let herself out and hugged the boys.  
  
  
"I need you two to get back in the play room," she urged them, "I'll come find you, okay?"   James nodded and started walking out of the dungeon, but Jareth lingered for a moment.  
  
  
"You're in big trouble," Jareth told Sarah.  
  
  
"I know," Sarah replied sadly, "but you're the only one who can save me."  
  
  
Jareth stared at her a little while longer, then he turned away and followed James back up to their play room. Sarah wished he would tell someone the truth, they probably thought Sarah had killed Mitzi too, by now. She crept out of the dungeon and went upstairs, stole quietly along the hallway and slipped out into the courtyard. Sarah glanced longingly back at the castle, but she had to flee for her life now. Blinking back tears, she ran from the castle grounds and down into the village nearby. She walked among the people who lived there, nobody gave her a second glance because she wore clothing from the castle so she just looked like everybody else. Only, maybe a bit cleaner...  
  
  
Sarah looked around at the budding village, some buildings were still under construction and she was amazed at how it was all so unfamiliar; yet she had been to this very location many times before. She wasn't sure if anyone would notice that she'd escaped, but just in case; she had to find somewhere to hide out. She wandered along until she was far from the village, she hated to be so distant from the boys but she knew they were safe for now. Sarah eventually found herself coughing, her throat felt dry and her eyes burned with the acrid air all around her. She had walked all the way to the Draconian Kingdom?  She glanced up at the blackened castle, a huge volcano in the background and massive winged beasts lazing all around.  
  
  
She took a deep breath and hoped for the best, perhaps if the King and Queen of this place were anything like little James; she might be able to convince them to help her. Sarah walked to the castle entrance, a little intimidated by the creatures who stood guard at the doors. They looked like dragons, only they stood upright on two legs.  
  
  
"Who goes there?" growled the blue one.  
  
  
"I'm just visiting," Sarah replied calmly, "may I pass?"  
  
  
"Who's expecting you?" asked the red one, narrowing his eyes at Sarah.  
  
  
"Prince James," Sarah replied firmly, crossing her fingers.  
  
  
They glanced at each other, then let her by without question. Sarah walked inside and tried not to look afraid, there were more of them - everywhere! The castle seemed to be full of these creatures, but where were the King and Queen?  Sarah made her way through the different areas of the building, finally stumbling into the throne room. Two people sat upon their thrones, looking expectantly at her.  
  
  
"Your Majesties," Sarah approached them slowly, her heart beating faster and faster, "I come seeking Sanctuary and beg for your assistance."  The King watched her curiously while the Queen whispered into his ear, Sarah could only wait and keep her fingers crossed.  
  
  
"Why should we help you?" asked the King but his tone was calm and non threatening.  
  
  
"I'm a good friend of your son," replied Sarah.  This got the Queen's attention, she stood up and walked swiftly over to Sarah.  
  
  
"You know where my boy is?" she demanded urgently, "tell me at once!"   Sarah looked at the King, who had also risen to his feet.  
  
  
"He's in Prince Jareth's play room," Sarah told them, "he's quite safe."  The Queen turned sharply and Sarah stepped back to avoid being hit by her dragon-like wings.  
  
  
"He's over there again, Julian!" the Queen sounded frustrated, "what are we to do??"  King Julian slowly sat back down, looking thoughtful but not saying anything.  
  
  
"I shall send his Nanny over to fetch him at once," the Queen spoke again, swiftly leaving the room. Sarah kind of wished that she hadn't told them now, as James had been quite adamant that he wasn't ever returning home.  
  
  
"What do you require from us?" asked Julian. Sarah thought he looked a lot like the older version of James, only with much longer white hair.  
  
  
"I've been accused of something terrible," Sarah lowered her gaze, "but I am innocent."   Julian reached out and lifted her chin with his fingertips, he smiled at her with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes and Sarah knew at once that this was definitely James' father.  
  
  
"Of course we will help you," he told her calmly, "any friend of our son, is family here."  
  
  
"Thank you, your Majesty," Sarah felt relieved, "my name is Sarah."   He sat back.  
  
  
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Sarah," Julian replied, "how has James been behaving for you?"  
  
  
"He's a handful," Sarah admitted, "but honestly? I think you should be very proud, you're raising a fine boy, your Majesty."  Julian raised his brows.  
  
  
"Well, I've never heard such praise of my son before," he sounded quite surprised, "but yes, I am extremely proud of my boy."  Sarah looked around as the Queen returned, looking a little calmer.  
  
  
"I have sent Scud to find James," she sat upon her throne beside Julian, "such a wayward little wanderer he is, I never know where he gets to anymore."  Sarah felt sorry for the young mother, it must be very hard for her.  
  
  
"Aryana, my love," Julian spoke now, "this is Sarah, she stands accused of a crime she did not commit. I have offered her our assistance."  Aryana looked to Sarah.  
  
  
"Of course," she responded warmly, "tell me, is my boy alright?"  
  
  
"Well," Sarah was uncertain about telling them but they had a right to know, "James doesn't seem to want to come back here."  
  
  
"What?" Aryana raised her brows.  
  
  
"He kind of threw a bolt of fire at me when I asked about his Nanny," Sarah revealed, "he screamed at me that he would never go home again."  Julian and Aryana glanced at each other, then back to Sarah.  
  
  
"He's never done such a thing before!" Aryana gasped.  
  
  
"It is why we never make him angry," Julian explained, "we have given him other ways to cope with his emotions, but he is still quite young and may not always be able to laugh it off."  
  
  
So that's why James was almost always smiling and joking around, he was projecting his emotions outward into the world as laughter rather than fire bolts and flame strikes. Sarah wasn't sure it was a healthy way to deal with life's problems, they should be teaching James to talk about it; not just push it aside as if it never happened.


	7. The Draconian Kingdom

It wasn't long before Scud returned, with little James in his arms. James was struggling but Scud was a lot bigger and stronger than the toddler, so he had little trouble keeping his hold on the boy. James saw Sarah and instantly cheered up, but his eyes never stopped looking terrified at being home. Scud set him down and James ran to Sarah, she knelt down and picked him up with a furrow of her brow. He was trembling all over, she'd never known James to be afraid before.  
  
  
Sarah suddenly remembered something she wished she hadn't found out, when she was talking to teen James and Jareth not long ago. It made her hold little James tighter, she decided not to let him out of her sight until she was sure that she was correct in her assumptions.   
  
  
"James, sweetheart," Aryana scolded her son gently, "why must you always disappear? We worry about you!"   James gripped Sarah with his fingers, his sharp, little clawed nails digging into her flesh.   
  
  
"Now, go with Scud and get ready for bed," Aryana told James, "it's way past your-.. "   
  
  
"Can Sarah put me to bed?" James spoke up quickly, "please?" Aryana looked slightly bewildered, but nodded.   
  
  
"Alright," she agreed, "just this once."   
  
  
Sarah glanced at Scud, she half expected him to protest and put up a fuss but he was simply standing there calmly with his gaze lowered; respecting the young prince's wishes. Perhaps she was wrong about him afterall and James was simply mischievous?   
  
  
She carried the little Draconian to his nursery, which was just as nice as Jareth's nursery only with more dragon-type stuff in it. She lay the young prince down and his eyes were closed already, so she smiled down at his angelic face and covered him with the blankets. After a moment or two, Sarah slipped out quietly and closed the door behind her. She returned to the throne room and stood before the King and Queen once again, Scud was no longer there but he was not her concern right now. She had to clear her name, she had to make sure everyone knew she did not hurt the boys!   
  
  
"That was fast," Julian remarked.   
  
  
"Yes," Aryana looked a little confused, "Scud always takes more than an hour to get James to sleep."   
  
  
Sarah got a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach, thinking that maybe she shouldn't be so quick to dismiss her original fear about the male Nanny.  
  
  
"I have been thinking about your problem," Julian now changed the subject, "we will act on your behalf if you wish, when is your trial?"    
  
  
"Oh," Sarah looked surprised, "I didn't know there'd be a trial."  The King and Queen exchanged glances.   
  
  
"No trial?" asked Aryana, "that means you were caught red handed."   
  
  
"It's not like that," Sarah explained.  Julian leaned forwards.  
  
  
"I think you had better start at the beginning," he told Sarah, "we shall make up our own minds based on what you tell us."   
  
  
Aryana nodded her agreement and Sarah slowly began to tell them just exactly what had happened, right from the moment she suspected Mitzi of striking the boys. She could tell that Aryana was livid, clearly unable to control her anger when it came to people trying to hurt her son. Julian didn't look at all pleased either and Sarah honestly couldn't blame them.   
  
  
"Well I believe you," Aryana was the first to speak once Sarah was finished telling her story, "I like to think that my little James would come and tell me if something was wrong."   
  
  
"But the blows would not have hurt him, you see," Julian elaborated, "Draconian skin is quite tough, James would have thought little, if nothing of it."   Sarah nodded.   
  
  
"But that other boy, Jareth," Aryana looked sad, "he would have been in quite a lot of pain, surely someone noticed?"   
  
  
"Jareth has a way of masking how he feels," Sarah said quietly.    
  
  
"The dear little thing," Aryana shook her head again, slowly, "we should start inviting him over here from time to time."    
  
  
"Perhaps when the boys are a little older," nodded Julian, "James is boisterous enough at the moment."   
  
  
"King Julian," Sarah spoke carefully, "far be it from me to tell you how to raise your son, but if you teach James to simply laugh at his troubles, how can you possibly know when he's genuinely happy or if he's utterly miserable?"   
  
  
"James would tell me if something was wrong," Aryana spoke defensively.   
  
  
"I would love to believe that, too," Sarah replied gently, "but kids don't always think the same way we do."   Aryana and Julian looked at one another silently.   
  
  
"Sarah," Aryana spoke again, "you did such a good job unearthing that dreadful Mitzi, would you mind staying here for a while longer? Just to make sure my little James is alright? We are so busy running the Kingdom, I'm afraid we might be missing something."  Julian touched Aryana's hand to comfort her.   
  
  
"He just runs away so often," Julian told Sarah, "we've tried everything, including bars on his window but to no avail. He simply bends them and off he goes."  Sarah nodded.   
  
  
"I'll stay," she agreed, "let me see what I can find out for you. It might be something small, like something he doesn't want to eat. I'll talk to him tomorrow."   
  
  
Aryana and Julian smiled at her and Sarah was shown to a bedroom so that she could sleep for the night. Just before she could lay down, Sarah heard something that made her walk out of the bedroom and listen intently. She followed the noise to James' nursery and noticed the door was slightly open.  
  
  
"James?" she peered inside, expecting to see his bed empty and the window wide open. He was sitting there, hugging a dragon soft toy to his chest and crying into it. Sarah looked a little closer and saw Scud, sitting by the frightened boy.    
  
  
"What's going on?" asked Sarah.    
  
  
"He had a bad dream," Scud replied, "so I've brought him his toy to cuddle."  Sarah walked into the room and sat down on the other side of the bed, away from Scud.   
  
  
"James?" she spoke softly and touched his shoulder. James shrank away from her and Scud put his arms around the boy, trying to comfort him but James simply looked more terrified.   
  
  
"Maybe we should just leave him be," Sarah suggested.   
  
  
"You're probably right," Scud agreed, standing up and walking to the door, "goodnight James."  Sarah watched him leave, then turned back to the toddler.   
  
  
"Are you alright?" she asked him quietly. James turned away from her and lay down, but he did not answer the question.   
  
  
"If you had a bad dream," Sarah continued, "it helps if you talk about it."   
  
  
James lay still and didn't turn back to her. Sarah noticed that his clothes were a little unkempt, but that could have been from the boy thrashing about during his bad dream. She couldn't draw any conclusions from this, which frustrated her because she really wanted to get to the bottom of this. If she could find out who it was, before it happened, she could spare James a lifetime of pain.  
  
  
Sarah worried about Jareth, too. He was alone now and who would be with him? She hoped it would be Astrid or someone kind like her, though she knew he would never show it; he would be missing both Sarah and James something awful.   
  
  
"James?" Sarah tried again, "won't you tell me what's wrong?"  James stifled a sob, sniffled and turned to look at her. His eyes were shining with sadness, his little face wet with tears.   
  
  
"Nothing," he said quietly, "there's nothing wrong with it."   
  
  
"Then why are you crying?" Sarah asked him, looking confused as James closed his eyes. Then he turned back away from her and fell asleep once more.  
  
  
 _Nothing wrong with what?_   
  
  
Sarah looked towards the door, but Scud was long gone by now. She sat up in an armchair and closed her eyes, deciding to sleep in here from now on.

 


	8. The Execution

Morning came far too quickly and Sarah was blinded by the brightness of the sun in her face, the window was wide open and as expected; James was nowhere to be seen. Sarah gave a sigh, though she knew exactly where the toddler had gone and she stood up to go and inform his parents. Something stopped her, though. She figured James was much happier where he was right now, so why should she have him dragged back here?  
  
  
She knew his parents wanted what was best for him, but they also wanted to have their son at home and not constantly missing. It was quite the predicament, so what should she do? If there was something really bad happening, she needed James here so she could find out what it was. Sarah then felt guilty for thinking such things, why put him at risk like that? Perhaps she could find out on her own somehow...  
  
  
But Sarah's problems were just beginning. Aryana and Julian asked her to come with them, as they went to speak with whoever was in charge while Jareth's parents were away. Sarah was very nervous for the entire trip, she didn't know what was going to happen but she did know one thing and that was the power of the Draconian Kingdom itself. They seemed like a rather peaceful people, but she knew that they controlled a very powerful army indeed. There were a lot of people to argue with once they arrived, Sarah stood to one side while Aryana and Julian took up her case.  
  
  
*  
  
  
Several hours later and it wasn't looking good, Sarah had been seen holding the rock while Jareth and James were looking very frightened. Mitzi was dead, so she could not be questioned and they refused to drag the boys into this because they were too young. Sarah was sure Jareth wouldn't say anything anyway, but she did wish he would have said something to somebody by now. Sarah became suddenly aware of two guards approaching her, it was no use. She had been found guilty and not even the Draconian King and Queen could convince anybody any differently.  
  
  
"I'm sorry, Sarah," Aryana spoke as the guards dragged Sarah past her, "we did our best."  
  
  
Sarah tried to struggle free, but she was thrown into the dungeon yet again. This time, there was a guard posted inside and outside of the door so that she could not escape a second time.  
  
  
"They'll have yer head today," one of them told Sarah calmly, "rotten little boy basher!"  
  
  
Sarah sat down hopelessly, suddenly afraid for her life. Could this really, actually happen?  Would she die here today?  
  
  
It certainly looked that way and she could think of nothing that could save her now. She could hear a crowd gathering outside, people had heard about the execution and were coming to watch. Sarah remembered the one she'd almost witnessed when teenage James had stopped her, she'd been so grateful for that because she hadn't any idea what was going on at the time. She stood up, listening to the cries of ' _baby basher_ ' and ' _murdering whore_ '  from the frenzied crowd. She shivered and looked to the guard, but he was just grinning broadly at her.  
  
  
"They'll pelt yer with rocks," he warned her amusedly, "and shit, and probably rotten fruit, too. Some of them will even spit on yer."  Sarah wasn't sure she could take any more of this, she closed her eyes and wished harder than she had ever wished in her life that she would just wake up and be home.  
  
  
The door opened and several guards came in, they grabbed her and dragged her outside where she was indeed pelted with all manner of disgusting things. They brought Sarah to the guillotine, she was forced down to her knees to be placed into the stocks just below the blade. The roars of the gathered crowd was deafening, Sarah was screaming her innocence but nobody wanted to hear it. Tears were streaming down her face, she closed her eyes again and waited for it to all be over. Things were still being thrown at her, they were shouting at her so loudly. Suddenly, everything went silent and she knew that the blade was just about to come down and take off her head. She shook violently, terrified and sobbing hard. She didn't deserve this, she never hurt anyone. Why wouldn't they listen?  
  
  
"Jareth!" Sarah screamed as loudly as she could, the silence helped to carry her voice a long way.  
  
  
A murmur amongst the crowd made Sarah open her eyes, she stared in shock as Jareth stepped forwards and approached her. But who would bring such a small boy to this kind of event?  
  
  
"It wasn't Sarah," Jareth turned to address the gathered crowd. Sarah was closest to him and she could see him trembling, the little prince must have been scared out of his mind and yet he stood there like a King. Jareth lowered the sleeve of his shirt to show everyone his whopping great bruise, sending a gasp among the onlookers.  
  
  
"Mizzy did this," he misspoke her name but everyone knew what he meant.  
  
  
One of the guards slowly came forwards and released Sarah, she instantly rushed over to Jareth and hugged him tightly. She thanked him over and over and over again, sobbing heavily and probably just making him more afraid than he already had been. James wasn't far behind Jareth and soon the three of them were back in the castle, Sarah was given several apologies and a full pardon. But she had to go home, despite her reluctance to leave the boys. She knew they would still be there in the future, she just wished she could have solved James' problem as she had fixed Jareth's. She wondered if it would change Jareth's future at all, but quite possibly the damage had already been done.  
  
  
"You take care of each other," Sarah hugged them goodbye and James waved to her as she started to walk away.  
  
  
"Sarah," Jareth tugged at her pants.  Sarah knelt down and gave him another hug.  
  
  
"Am I a brave bear?" Jareth asked her, his wide, curious eyes staring hopefully up at her.  
  
  
"You are a _very_ brave bear," she whispered into his ear.  
  
  
Jareth looked at her.  
  
  
And he smiled.  
  
  
*  
  
=THE END=


End file.
